Northern Michigan University 2017 outdoor recreation leadership and management graduate Samantha LaLonde was named Rookie of the Year at the 2025 Iditarod race in Alaska. She recorded the best time by a first-time musher, completing the longest route in Iditarod history—1,128 miles—in 15th place.
“My life-long love for dogs eventually led me to the racing world and here we are – rookie Iditarod!,” said LaLonde, who trained with six-time Iditarod champion Dallas Seavey, a former wrestler at the U.S. Olympic Education Center at NMU, at his kennel in Talkeetna, Alaska, in preparation for her Iditarod debut.
Seavey did not participate in this year's race. In a social media post after his record-breaking sixth win last year, he credited LaLonde for her help: "She's been such an important person in this year's Iditarod preparations," he wrote. "If you visited us summer of 2023, then you may have had her as your guide."
LaLonde, of Farmington Hills, Mich., crossed under the Burled Arch end point in Nome with her team in 12 days, 14 hours, 20 minutes and 56 seconds, with 9 dogs in harness. The Rookie of the Year award comes with a trophy and an additional cash prize of $2,000. Read a previous NMU alumni magazine feature on LaLonde here.
